Rope-carrier for movable bucket conveyers.



PATENTBD OCT. 27, 1903.

G. E. TITGOMB. ROPE CARRIER FOR MOVABLE BUCKET OONVEYERS APPLICATIONFILED AUG. 22. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 742,753. PATENTBD OCT. 27, 1903.

G. E. TITCOMB. ROPE CARRIER FOR MOVABLE BUCKET GONVEYERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATEs Patented October 27, 19cc.

l PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE E. TITCOMB, OF

THE DODGE COAL STORAGE COMPANY,

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTI- CUT, ACORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ROPE-CARRIER SPECIFICATION forming part of, Letters Patent No. 742,753,dated October 27, 1903.

Application filed August 22, 1903. Serial No. 170,448.

(No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. TI'ICOMB, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Rope-Carriers for Movable Bucket Conveyers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that'class of hoistingmechanism in which a bucket-carrying trolley traverses a bridgestructure and is operated by means of one or more ropes leading from thesource of power to the bucket and trolley.

The object of my invention is to provide means operated automatically bythe trolley which will support the rope at one or more points betweenthe trolley and the source of power, but will open automatically for thefree passage of the trolley, as fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view,on the line 1 1, Fig. 3, of sufficient of a bridge-hoist to illustratemy invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2,Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a 1ongitudinal sectional view showing a section of thebridge and one of the rope-supporting members. Fig. 4: is a perspectiveview showing the pivoted rails and connecting-frame.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the ropesupports, and Fig. 6 is aview of the intermediate yoke-frame.

A is the bridge structure, which may be of any length and designdesired. This struc- 3 5 ture is supported at each end, and at one endis the power mechanism for operating the trolley and the bucket. This issimply one form of supporting structure, and it will be understood thatthe structure may be modi- 0 fied as desired. Hung from the structureare the permanent railsB B, over which travels the trolley C. (Shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1.) These rails are held to fixed brackets 19,secured at intervals to the main frame of the 5 bridge.

B B are pivoted rail-sections. These sections are pivoted at b to thefixed bracket 1),

and the rails have a limited movement on their pivots.

B is a yoke-frame,

(clearly illustrated in Fig. 4,) to which are pivoted the outer ends ofthe rails B at 19 The two rails of each section are held together by anintermediate yoke-frame B (Illustrated in Fig. 6.) The yoke-frame B ismounted in fixed guides A suitably braced and hung fromthe bridgestructure A.

D D are two carriers for supporting the rope. These carriers movetransversely in respect to the movement of the trolley and have flangedwheels supported by transverse rails a, carried by the bridge structure.At the outer end of each carrier D is a flanged roller (1, which whenthe carriers are forced together support the ropes leading to thetrolley and bucket.

Extending from the under side of each carrier D is a V-shaped guide d.The guides are so formed that it the rope should be under the carriersit will be directed by the guide d and will force its way through thespace between the two carriers', as the tension on the rope is muchgreater than the spring-pressure to keep the carriers together.

The yoke-frame B to which the outer ends 7 5 of the rails B areconnected, is supported by a spring E, which rests on a plate e on thecross member A of the bridge structure. A bolt e, attached to a head esupported by the spring E, passes through the spring and is attached tothe cross member 5 of the yokeframe.

Extending from each side of the yoke-frame B is an arm I), to which isattached a link f, hung from an arm f of a lever F. Each le- 85 ver F ispivoted at f 2 to a bearing carried by the transverse member A of thebridge structure. The long arm 1 of each lever F extends down to andengages a pin d on a carrier D, so that the downward movement of theyoke-frame B will cause an outward movement of the carriers D, thusopening the passage to allow the bucket-carrying trolley and its ropesto pass through.

On the fixed guides A are guards c and 5 stops 0. The stops limit thedownward movement of the rails B.

any number of the devices There may be above described on the bridgestructure, ac-

It will be too cording to the span of the bridge.

seen that when the trolley moves away from the source of it will travelfirst on the fixed rails B, then on the pivoted rails B, and the weightof the trolley will depress the rails and cause the rope-carriers toopen to allow the trolley to pass, and as soon as the trolley leaves thepivoted rails B the spring will cause the ropecarriers to close. Usuallythe rope is above the carriers; but in some instances when it is belowit will force its way up through the space between the two carriers andthen rest upon the supporting-rollers.

When the trolley is returned, the operation will be repeated. Therope-carriers being separated will allow the trolley to freely pass.Thus I am enabled to provide means for supporting the rope at intervalsbetween the source of power and the trolley, which means isautomatically operated by the trolley to release the ropes and to allowfor the free passage of the trolley.

By the construction shown I am enabled to provide means for moving therope-support away from the path of the trolley without shock to therope-support, as the movable rails are of suflicient length to cause thetrolley to gradually move the rope-support when coming in contact withit.

While I have shown a spring for supporting the yoke-frame, it will beunderstood that a weight may be used as an equivalent of the spring, andwhile I have shown two pivoted rail-sections, one abutting the other, asingle pivoted section may be used, or a single pivoted rail connectedto a single carrier may be designed; but I prefer to use theconstruction shown where possible.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a movable carrier for arope, a movable rail connected to said carrier, and a trolley to whichthe rope extends, the whole being so constructed that the weight of thetrolley will move the ropecarrier and allow the trolley to pass,substantially as described.

2. The combination of a transversely-movable carrier for a rope, a fixedand a pivoted rail, said pivoted rail connected to said carrier, and atrolley to which the rope extends, the parts being so constructed thatwhen the trolley passes from the fixed rail to the movable rail thecarrier will be moved out of the path of the trolley and its rope,substantially as described.

3. The combination of the fixed rails, thepivoted rails, a yoke-framesupporting the outer ends of the pivoted rails, a spring carrying theyoke-frame, laterally-movable carriers for the rope, and mechanismconnecting said carriers with the yoke-frame, and a trolley mounted onthe rails, the parts being so arranged that when the trolley is on thepivoted rails its weight will cause the withdrawal of thelaterally-movable carriers, substantially as described. 7

4. The combination of the fixed rails, the

power at one side of the bridge ing a continuation pivoted rails, aframe secured to the outer ends of the pivoted rails, a spring forsupporting said frame, laterally-movable ropecarriers, lever mechanismconnected to the frame and to the rope-carriers, with a trolley arrangedto travel on the fixed and pivoted rails, the parts being so arrangedthat when the trolley is on the pivoted rails its weight will cause therope carriers to open, substantially as described.

5. The combination in a bridge structure, of the fixed rails supportedthereby, a series of pivoted rails forming continuations of the fixedrails, laterally-movable rope-carriers mounted in the fixed frame, amovable frame attached to the outer ends of the pivoted rails, means forsupporting the movable frame, lever connections between said movableframe and the rope-carriers, atrolley mounted on said rails, the partsbeing so arranged that when the trolley is on the pivoted rails therails will be depressed and the rope-carriers opened so as to allow forthe passage of the trolley, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a fixed structure, fixed rails thereon, tworail-sections pivoted thereto, a yoke-frame connected to the outer endsof both sections, a spring supporting said yoke-frame to keep the railsnormally in the raised position, laterally-movable ropecarriers mountedin bearings in the fixed frame, lever mechanism connecting the yokeframewith the movable rope-carriers, so that when the trolley is on thepivoted rails its weight will overcome the pressure of the spring andcause the rope-carriers to part and allow for the free passage of thetrolley, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a structure, fixed rails thereon, rails pivotedthereto and formof the fixed rails, a frame to which the outer ends ofthe rails are attached, a spring for supporting the said frame,

laterally-movable rope-carriers, guides therefor on the fixed frame, alever on each side of the yoke-frame, a link connecting the short longarm of each lever being connected to a rope-carrier, the parts being soarranged that when the trolley is on the pivoted rail its weight willcounteract the springs and will separate the rope-carriers,substantially as described.

8. The combination of the fixed rails, the pivoted rails forming acontinuation of the fixed rails, a frame attached to the outer end ofthe pivoted rails, a spring for supporting said frame, laterally-movablerope-carriers, and means connecting the pivoted rails to said carriers,each of thecarriers having a roller, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the fixed rails, the pivoted rails forming acontinuation of the fixed rails, a frame attached to the outer end ofthe pivoted rails, a spring for supporting said frame, laterally-movablerope-carriers, means connecting the pivoted rails to the cararm of eachlever with the yoke-frame, the

riers, each of said carriers having a roller, and rope-guides on eachcarrier for directing the rope as it forces its way through the spacebetween the carriers, scribed.

10'. The combination of the fixed frame, fixed rails secured thereto,rails pivoted to the fixed frame and forming a continuation of the fixedrails, a yoke-frame attached to the outer ends of the pivoted rails, aspring tending to hold the pivoted rails in the elevated position,rope-carriers, wheels thereon, fixed guides for the said wheels, aroller on substantially as deeach rope-guide for supporting the rope,and lever connection between each rope-carrier 15 and the yoke-frame, sothat when the trolley travels over the pivoted rails it will depresssaid rails and cause the rope-carriers to part, substantially asdescribed.

Inv testimony whereof I have signed my 20 name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. TITCOMB.

Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, JAMEs C. KRAYER.

